Egg inspection device

ABSTRACT

An egg inspection device of light weight and small bulk, comprising a chamber into which part of an egg is inserted, comprising a partially screened electrical light source installed within the chamber and provided with electrical contacts which are activated by the insertion and removal of an egg. The chamber is provided with an opening for viewing, directly or indirectly by means of mirrors, the part of an egg having an air pocket which, when illuminated by the light source, permits its inspection to indicate the freshness of the egg. The device is capable of being operated under average room lighting conditions.

United States Patent Foufounis et al.

[111 3,767,303 [451 Oct. 23, 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 62,076 3/1944 Denmark 356/67 Primary ExaminerRona1d L. Wibert Assistant ExaminerPaul K. Godwin Attorney-Emory L. Groff et al.

[57] ABSTRACT An egg inspection device of light weight and small bulk,comprising a chamber into which part of an egg is inserted, comprising a partially screened electrical light source installed within the chamber and provided with electrical contacts which are activated by the insertion and removal of an egg. The chamber is provided with an opening for viewing, directly or indirectly by means of mirrors, the part of an egg having an air pocket which, when illuminated by the light source, permits its inspection to indicate the freshness of the egg. The device is capable of being operated under average room lighting conditions.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures EGG INSPECTION DEVICE To assess the freshness of an egg, a known method consists of placing the egg, masked on its sides, over a well lighted translucent plate, which method makes it possible to observe, with a certain degree of clarity and by transparency, the interior of an egg and more particularly the air pocket formed at one of its extremities, which air pocket increases in size as the egg ages. Such known method necessitates the use of a strong source of light, making the construction of a light weight, portable device of small bulk, capable of operating on a dry cell battery and a pocket flash light electric bulb impossible, or restricts the use of the device to a dark room, which reduces its efficiency and jeopardises its practicability, for example when used by a housewife intending to inspect eggs recently purchased at the supermarket.

The object of the present invention is a device for the inspection of eggs, the concept and execution of which results in a portable instrument, of substantial observation clarity, allowing daylight use.

Its concept is based on the observed fact that when aiming a narrow light beam, although weak, such as that of a pocket flash light for example, at the precise area of the shell of the egg which covers its air pocket, the visibility of said air pocket increases considerably, by glowing, and becomes clearly visible, in spite of ambient room lighting conditions. No known devices, to applicants knowledge, take advantage of the above mentioned observation.

According to the present invention, the egg inspection device comprises a chamber, in which an opening Pg,3 for visual observation has been provided, while another opening has also been provided for the insertion of at least part of an egg, inserted along its longitudinal axis. A light source consisting of an electric bulb with a screen in which an opening is provided, allows a narrow beam of light to pass through, which beam of light can be optically condensed. The device is characterized by the fact that the opening provided in the screen which allows the light beam to pass through its center perpendicularly, as well as to pass through the center of the opening in which the egg is inserted to center it, places the area of the shell of the egg covering the air pocket against the light source, thus making the inspection of the egg in a lighted room possible.

The enclosed drawings illustrate, schematically and by way of example, a preferred form of execution of the device which is the objectof the invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section of the device.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the device and a partial cross-section view according to lines IIII of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are applied to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, where in FIG. 1, the device comprises a body, composed of two parts, a lower part 1 and an upper'part 2 fitted to one another to form a chamber 3.

In part 2, an opening 4 is provided to allow the insertion of the end of an egg 5, showing its air pocket 6, in chamber 3. Part 2 is also provided with another opening 7, intended as a viewing opening for the inspection of the egg, partly inserted in chamber 3. The optical viewing axis is shown in FIG. 1 by phantom line 8,

which line is reflected by a front coated mirror 9, mounted on face 10 of part 1.

A light source, consisting of an electric bulb Il, surrounded by a screen 12, made of opaque, flexible and electrically insulating material is located within the chamber 3. Said electric bulb and its screen are held by support 13 and maintained in the position shown in FIG. 1 by a coil spring 14.

The support 13 is attached to part 2 by means of the arms 15. Part 2 also supports the two electrical conducting elements 16 and 17, electrically connecting the bulb to the power source 18, lodged within'the cavity 19, of appropriate shape and size, provided in part I.

With its end having the largest curvature, pointing toward the opening 4, an egg is placed in said opening, the edges of which are lined with a gasket 20 made of soft and resilient material, preventing stray light from penetrating within the chamber 3. The egg 5 is pressed through the opening 4, so that its extremity of largest curvature touches the screen 12 of the electric light bulb II and displaces the light bulb and the screen 12 against their back up coil spring 14 until the electrical contact 21 of the light bulb, pushing the electrical conducting element 16 against the electrical conducting element 17 closes the electrical circuit and lights the bulb. As one can see, the opening provided in the screen is of a diameter smaller than the diameter of the air pocket 6, of a fresh egg.

The device, as described, which is object of the present invention permits a clear observation of the air pocket formed within the egg, said air pocket being indicative of the freshness of the egg. The screen '12 allows only the passage, against the walls of the egg, of a narrow beam of light, of a diameter smaller than the diameter of the air pocket, which beam of'light is aimed precisely where the air pocket is located. After passing through the shell of the egg, the light'rays are-not diffused by the eggs white and the air pocket is lighted intensely, allowing easy inspection. In addition, the device being small, light and portable, one can easily shake the device and the egg, to observe the state of stability or instability of the white liquid mass within the egg, in relation to the air pocket, affording further possibility of assessing the freshness of the egg.

Finally, the chamber 3 makes it possible to examine the egg even in broad daylight. I

Obviously, numerous modifications of the preferred device, as described above, can be envisioned, such as using an electrical wall outlet as a power source, instead of the dry cell battery described above. The opening 7 provided for the inside viewing of the chamber 3 could be located differently for observation of the part of the egg inserted in the chamber, that'is without the line of viewing being reflected by a mirror. Another variation could provide for a line of viewing reflected by a plurality of mirrors, resulting in an advantageous longer optical path within the chamber, permitting the observer to place their eye at the immediate proximity of the opening, thus further reducing the penetration of stray light within the chamber.

' Further, one can also envision a more elaborate optical system, which could include a reflector and an optical condenser to obtain an even more concentrated beam of light, from a given light source.

Weclaim:

l. A device for the inspection of an egg under daylight conditions, comprising a chamber, said chamber having a first opening for viewing the inside thereof and having a circularly shaped second opening for at least the partial insertion of an egg, an internal source of light consisting of an electric light bulb, an opaque screen surrounding said light bulb, said screen provided with a top opening allowing the passage of a thin, concentrated beam of light oriented in the direction of the egg, wherein said screen surrounding the light bulb is of an area smaller than the area of the air pocket present in a fresh egg and abutted against the inserted egg, the longitudinal axis of said egg being substantially perpendicular to the center of said second opening in which it is inserted, and said viewing opening in the chamber permitting direct inspection of the part of the egg having the air pocket.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein, said chamber contains at least one mirror, the location of the viewing opening permitting the indirect inspection, by reflection on said mirror of that part of the egg lighted by the light source.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein, the insertion of the egg into said second opening in contact with the screen top opening closes the electrical circuit of the light bulb, said circuit being automatically opened when the egg is removed from the device.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein, said screen is spring biased axially upwardly to facilitate its contact with the egg regardless of the size thereof. 

1. A device for the inspection of an egg under daylight conditions, comprising a chamBer, said chamber having a first opening for viewing the inside thereof and having a circularly shaped second opening for at least the partial insertion of an egg, an internal source of light consisting of an electric light bulb, an opaque screen surrounding said light bulb, said screen provided with a top opening allowing the passage of a thin, concentrated beam of light oriented in the direction of the egg, wherein said screen surrounding the light bulb is of an area smaller than the area of the air pocket present in a fresh egg and abutted against the inserted egg, the longitudinal axis of said egg being substantially perpendicular to the center of said second opening in which it is inserted, and said viewing opening in the chamber permitting direct inspection of the part of the egg having the air pocket.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein, said chamber contains at least one mirror, the location of the viewing opening permitting the indirect inspection, by reflection on said mirror of that part of the egg lighted by the light source.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein, the insertion of the egg into said second opening in contact with the screen top opening closes the electrical circuit of the light bulb, said circuit being automatically opened when the egg is removed from the device.
 4. A device according to claim 3 wherein, said screen is spring biased axially upwardly to facilitate its contact with the egg regardless of the size thereof. 